I just found your blog while doing my initial research on pool builder (found it in your Yelp review). I loved reading about your experience and seeing the pics along the way! Thank you so much for the wonderful insight. I have to say that your pool installation has made me so excited to pull the trigger on our own, and now when I need a break at work, I go to your blog -- my new "Happy Place".

Hello! I have returned with more questions. I have a green thing tied to hold my pachira's braid. However, as more leaves are growing, it's getting really crowded. I'm concerned that leaves under the other leaves are not getting enough sunlight (does that even matter?) because it's covered. I included pics below. If I do not want to keep my tree braided, can I untie the thing holding my braids together? Is it better or worse to keep the braids together? Will that give more room for my tree to grow? If that's not the option.. should I be cutting the leaves to create room? Oh and look at my newest growth :) so cute. Thanks in advance for your help!

nidnay - at our current facility we have an 8 stall barn with a bathroom, 12' X 18' office, and 12' X 24' tackroom, with the barn being about 125' away from the back of our house (facing it actually). I've lived here for 18 years now and we RARELY EVER use the stalls, so we don't plan on building a 'stable' (or a barn with stalls). The horses are going to live out with shelters in each pasture. Our current barn had to have it's own it's own septic system. $$$ The current land we are looking at only had one perc site for 4 bedrooms. I don't want to pay for the test for a second perc ($250) plus the cost of having another septic system (about $4K), as well as creating a climate controlled office and bathroom in the barn (a mini split system is about $3K and a 2 piece bathroom probably around $2K). That is about $10K right there in a separate septic, a 2 piece bathroom, and office and climate control for both (as well as permitting, creating plans, etc.). All things that would have already been in the house at the square footage we had to build. Plus grading for a large barn was going to be expensive. We found a place next to the house to put in a modest shed row 'barn' for a tack room, feed room and grooming, that will work with the topography of the land for minimal grading work. We did this to keep things cost effective. It's just my husband and I living in this house, it's not like we have kids to keep separated from my business. We're both fine with this situation. The door up the stairs to the main floor will have a lock on it. And I don't have a lesson mill program, I focus on quality not quantity. I've been teaching for over 20 years now. I keep about 8 weekly students at any given time. I get to know my students and my parents well... my students tend to stick around for years. Same for my boarders. We'll have 2 or 3 boarders at the new location. At our current facility 3 of our customers have been with us for 5+ years. At one point or another I end up paying most of my students and all of my boarders to house sit / dog sit / farm sit for us when we go on vacation. I'm pretty confident they are not going to bust the door down to access the main floor of my home. And they won't be there at inappropriate hours of the day / night anyhow. Vigil Carter - I guess you didn't read my last post. We priced out a 1 story 'ranch' with the same builder. 2200 sq ft was going to cost $209,000 THEN another $15K because of the sloped ground to add more courses to the crawl space foundation. This 1700 sq ft two story house, without walkout basement, came in at $178K pre-basement. The cost of the completely finished 840 sq ft basement, with a grand total heated sq ft of 2540, came to a total less than the single story 2200 sq ft ranch. Though we could have gotten a separate entrance in-law space, the in-law space would have been way smaller (by over 150 sq ft) and I would not have had an office that was separate from my main living space. I lift 50 pound bags of feed and hay nearly daily and my husband is military / infantry, we are active horse riders and hikers. I think we can handle interior stairs for another 12+ years. :) At that point if it starts to bother us then we can add a master suit to the side of the house (which we had already spec'd out anyhow but we just do not need at this time).

Comments (without reading anyone else's) Kitchen: looks fine except that wall of squares and rectangles. I am glad no subway, though I would have wanted something warmer for the tile color. Island and floor are stunning. I like the cabinet pulls. Bath: Again, happy with no subway. I could do with a lot less gray, and I think the shower tiling is way too busy. That mirror is cool. Back yard: Too small for the price this is offered at, but this is San Fran after all. For what they have, they did a nice job. Exterior: I'd like to see a light tan or beige color to that stucco. Just to keep it less industrial looking. Front entryway: That could grow on me. Much of the interior: WAY WAY too open for me. Too much noise bouncing around. Spend some moolah on some properly-placed walls! I'm with you, Lars! Bath sink area: I like the marble or granite they used, and the fixtures -, the door is not me at all. Stairs going up: I like. I have to stop here and note that the dire lack of color on walls is truly disturbing, but nothing that can't be solved with several or more gallons of PAINT. Things were going good until bathroom image 32. That thing I'd replace within a week of purchase. Or was that a laundry room? Terribly vanilla for a high end home, or for any home. I like lots of balcony space. Hallway with all the doors: would have to see why all those doors, but I do like that they are wood-framed - adds some interest to the home.